Klemio
Artis Royal Zoo
Artis opened in 1838, which makes it one of the oldest zoos in Europe, and it shows in the best way. This is a zoo built like a botanical garden, with monumental old buildings, mature trees, and winding paths, sitting right inside the city in the leafy Plantage district. You come for the animals, but you stay because it is one of the most pleasant green spaces in central Amsterdam, with an aquarium and a planetarium folded into the same ticket.
Photos: Dejonkheer (CC BY-SA 3.0), Kitty Terwolbeck from The Netherlands (CC BY 2.0), Kitty Terwolbeck from The Netherlands (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
An old, garden-style city zoo where the historic grounds, aquarium, and planetarium are as much the appeal as the animals. One ticket covers it all.
Worth it for
- Families wanting a full day with animals, a planetarium show, and space for kids to roam
- Anyone craving a green, calm half-day a tram ride from the busy center
You can skip if
- You only rate zoos on large modern enclosures and find historic ones disappointing
- You are tight on time and a half-day is more than your schedule allows
Tickets & tours for Artis Royal Zoo
Which ticket should you buy?
More garden than cage
The layout is the thing that sets Artis apart. Generations of planting have turned it into a proper park with grand 19th-century pavilions scattered through it, so even on a busy day you can find a bench under a big tree and just sit. There are around 900 species across the grounds, from big cats and giraffes to a butterfly pavilion, but the experience is as much a stroll through a historic garden as a tick-list of animals.
Because the enclosures and buildings are old, some feel of their era rather than cutting-edge modern habitats. If you judge zoos strictly by enclosure size, Artis will not top your list. If you value atmosphere, history, and a green hour in the middle of the city, it is hard to beat.
The aquarium and planetarium
The aquarium is housed in a grand listed building from 1882 and is a highlight in its own right, with a cross-section of an Amsterdam canal showing what actually lives under the water, plus coral and tropical tanks. It is included with your zoo ticket, so do not walk past it.
The planetarium is on the same grounds and also covered by the standard ticket. Shows run on a schedule through the day, so glance at the times when you arrive and slot one in around the animals. On a cold or wet day, the aquarium and planetarium are a good way to stay indoors without leaving.
Tickets and timing
Tickets are timed entry and noticeably cheaper bought online for a chosen slot than at the gate, and the price can vary by day. Book ahead, especially in summer and over school holidays when the grounds get busy. Your ticket covers the zoo, the aquarium, and the planetarium together, so there is nothing extra to pay once you are in.
Give yourself time. Half a day is realistic if you want to see the animals, do the aquarium, catch a planetarium show, and actually enjoy the gardens rather than march through them. Families with small children easily fill a full day here.
Where it is
Artis sits in the Plantage, an elegant, quiet neighborhood just east of the center and an easy tram ride or pleasant walk from the canal belt. The streets around it are residential and green, which is a nice contrast to the crush of the old town.
It pairs well with the nearby Hortus Botanicus (the city's old botanical garden), the Verzetsmuseum, or a walk along the leafy Plantage streets. You can spend a calm half-day in this corner of the city without ever fighting a tourist crowd outside the zoo gates.
Artis Royal Zoo: FAQs
Yes. One standard ticket covers the zoo, the historic aquarium, and the planetarium. There is nothing extra to pay inside.
Yes. Entry is timed and cheaper online than at the gate, and slots fill up in summer and during school holidays. Book a time before you go.
Plan for at least half a day to do the animals, aquarium, and a planetarium show without rushing. Families with young kids can easily stay all day.
If you want a historic garden setting and a green break in the city, very much so. If you judge zoos purely on large modern enclosures, some areas will feel dated.
Partly. The aquarium and planetarium are indoors and make a wet day workable, though much of the zoo is outdoors. Pack a jacket either way.
It is in the Plantage district just east of the center, a short tram ride or a walk of around 20 minutes from the canal belt.
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